According to Serbian Economist, Croatia Airlines, the Croatian national carrier, will cancel about 900 flights over the next three months—roughly 5% of its planned 27,000 flights—due to a sharp rise in jet fuel prices. This was announced by the carrier’s commercial director, Slaven Žabo, in a comment to RTL Croatia, as reported by EX-YU Aviation.
According to him, the unfavorable geopolitical situation has hit jet fuel prices hard: since the start of the crisis, the cost of kerosene has doubled and is rising faster than the price of oil. Žabo noted that current fuel prices will lead to multimillion-dollar losses for airlines, including Croatia Airlines.
The company refers to the reduction of the schedule as “optimization”—that is, aligning aircraft capacity with current demand, the cost of operating flights, and the profitability of specific routes. At the same time, Croatia Airlines emphasizes that during the high season it operates up to 100 flights per day, and the cancellation of 900 flights will affect only part of the schedule.
In addition to canceling some flights, the carrier is preparing to raise ticket prices. The cost of flights will be affected not only by fuel but also by rising airport fees. In particular, Zagreb Airport has announced a 20% increase in service fees starting June 1.
The problem is not limited to Croatia. According to The Guardian, due to rising jet fuel prices, airlines worldwide have cut approximately 2 million seats for May 2026, which corresponds to roughly 13,000 flights, or less than 2% of global aviation capacity. The most significant cuts have affected Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.
For the region, this means that the summer tourist season may unfold amid higher ticket prices and fewer available flights. This is particularly sensitive for the Adriatic countries, where air accessibility directly impacts tourism, the hotel sector, and consumer spending by foreign visitors.
Serbia’s Air Serbia has not yet announced large-scale flight cancellations, unlike Croatia Airlines. On the contrary, the company reported record financial and passenger results for 2025: revenue reached €719.5 million, exceeding €700 million for the second consecutive year, and the carrier continued to expand its route network.
However, rising fuel costs are already affecting the Serbian carrier as well. Air Serbia spokesperson Bojan Rupić previously stated that the company is introducing fuel surcharges, but passengers who have already purchased tickets will not be required to pay the additional fee. According to him, the additional charges for round-trip tickets generally amount to €20–30, while on long-haul flights to the U.S. and China, they can reach €100.
